Porter In Macbeth

Characters are essential elements in every story due to their ability to dictate the actions of others or themselves while also contributing to themes and overall plot. Without the presence of major and minor characters, a story would lose literary elements necessary to form an ideal literary work. William Shakespeare utilizes the Porter in his play, Macbeth, through his clumsy and drunken behavior to provide comic relief while also signifying the underlying evil that has emerged from Macbeth’s recent actions. While the Porter may not be one of the main characters in the play, he serves as an important character through his ability to offer relief for the audience. Shakespeare’s integration of the porter’s vibrant comedy at the beginning of

In Scene 3, it is clearly evident that the Porter, also known as the doorkeeper of Macbeth’s castle, is under the influence of alcohol and has taken up a lively personality. In addition to his vibrant display of intoxication, the Porter makes the audience laugh through his “lechery” speech. "Lechery, sir, it provokes, and unprovokes: it provokes the desire, but it takes away the performance" (Shakespeare, Act 2, Scene 3, Lines 13-15) These lines refer to the effect that alcohol has on the male libido and, by utilizing them as humor for the audience, Shakespeare is able to alleviate the tension felt after Duncan’s murder. In addition to his inappropriate joke, the Porter also complains that his job is worse than that of a Porter in hell. In an attempt to entertain the audience, the Porter participates in a form of comedy in which he envisions himself as that of a struggling servant, opening and closing the gate upon request. The porter scene, by arousing laughter, serves as a transition of tone from the supernatural world of murder to an earthlier

Despite his intoxicated state, it is through the porter’s speech that the main metaphor of Macbeth’s castle being compared to the gates of hell is revealed. Shakespeare views Macbeth’s castle as a place of murder and corruption and uses the Porter scene to symbolize that those who enter the evil castle and attempts to suppress Macbeth’s ambition have entered hell. The first instance of the Porter imitating the hell’s gatekeeper can be seen when he states, “Here's a knocking indeed! If a man were porter of hell’s gate, he should have old turning the key” (Shakespeare, Act 2, Scene 3, Lines 1-3). The Porter imagines himself as a porter for the devil who must open the gates of hell to all those wishing to enter. Another example can be seen when the Porter states, “Who's there, in the name of Beelzebub?" (Shakespeare, Act 2, Scene 3, Line 4) This line is important because the porter implies that Macbeth’s castle Inverness is both literally and figuratively hell. In his soliloquy, he refers to three callers wishing to enter the gates. First, he is called upon by a farmer who has killed himself as a result of a farming mistake. Next, he is called upon by an equivocator, who has been denied access into heaven because he lied under oath. Finally, he is called upon by a tailor, who was a con man and now has to heat his irons in the fires of hell. The action of opening